


We're Running A Castle, Not a Nursery

by KaiTorres



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adoption, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 08:04:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4012060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiTorres/pseuds/KaiTorres
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi likes calling Erwin "Daddy", but not in a dirty way.</p>
<p>Based on this SNK kinkmeme prompt: https://snkkink.dreamwidth.org/19979.html?thread=10058251#cmt10058251</p>
            </blockquote>





	We're Running A Castle, Not a Nursery

Levi thought he was prepared to help run a castle. True, he didn't run around with the elite as much as Erwin did, but he figured he could leave the politics to Erwin and handle the day-to-day operations much like handling logistics at the barracks. He was very much mistaken.

While Levi knew that Queen Historia was adored by the public, it didn't occur to him how much her popularity would affect the actions of the people. People didn't just offer flowers and tokens of their love at the gates, orphans too, soon found their way there.

Levi knew that most orphanages within the Wall are operating past their capacity, with five children to a bed and only two small meals a day, if they're lucky. It was the reason why kids like him preferred to take their chances on the streets. Most days, he ate better than the kids in the orphanage.

It bothered him to turn a blind eye to them, when there were plenty of unoccupied rooms within the castle and the stock of food could easily keep them fed for a year.

"What's bothering you?" Erwin asked one day, when he found Levi staring blankly at the gates from a castle window.

"Those brats come here everyday," Levi said.

Erwin found the ones Levi were talking about; a boy and a girl of about five or six. They were holding hands and peering up at the castle in wonder.

"Were you thinking of letting them in?" Erwin asked.

Levi sighed. "If we let one in, others will be clamoring to get in. We'd be swamped with brats who want to live in a castle."

Erwin smiled. "But you still want to let them in, right?"

"Erwiiin," Levi exhaled, exasperated. The truth was, he wanted to let those kids in. The other kids all seemed to wander about the gates in curiosity, but those two genuinely seemed like they had nowhere else to go.

Erwin nodded. "I'll let it go."

\---

"You didn't!" Hange gasped. She seemed both surprised and delighted.

Levi picked up on the happiness in Hange's voice and worried for a moment that she had procured a new test subject and brought it into the castle. "What's going on?"

He caught Hange with Erwin and the two kids he had spotted at the gates yesterday. All four smiled at him and he could only look back with complete bewilderment.

"Erwin Smith, what the fuck did you do?"

"Levi, language," Erwin reminded, nodding towards the kids.

"Okaaay kids! Who wants to play with Auntie Hange?" Hange asked. Both kids raced their hands and ran to follow Hange back to her room, where she would doubtlessly confuse the kids with an enthusiastic monologue about titans.

"All right, I can explain," Erwin started, bringing his hands up in a placating gesture. "I inquired about the kids and I found out that lost their parents when they were young, and their grandmother just recently passed. She told them that their parents lived in the castle and had to serve the people, and that's why they couldn't see them."

"That's a shitty way to lie to kids about their dead parents."

"Their names are James and Joanna. They're twins."

Levi sighed. "What are we now, an orphanage?"

Erwin paused a moment before answering. "Actually, I've adopted them."

\---

Levi had been led to and was still in Erwin's office, being placated with tea and Erwin's knowledge of the kids so far. James enjoyed drawing, and Joanna was the braver of the two. When he sought them out and Joanna heard that he was from the castle, she outright asked him if he was their father. 

"And what did you tell her?" Levi asked.

"That I wasn't, but I could become their father starting today, if they wanted," Erwin replied.

Levi felt a little stir in his gut at that. He frowned down at the tea he was drinking. "I think this is the d-"

A knock startled them both. Before Erwin could ask who it was, a little girl's voice called "Daddy! Auntie Hange said you'd be here!"

Erwin walked over and opened the door. The moment Joanna saw him, he jumped to his side and hugged his leg. James followed suit, giving a one-armed hug to prevent his drawing from getting wrinkled.

"Did Auntie Hange show you something nice?" Erwin asked them.

Joanna nodded vigorously. "She showed us titans!"

Figures, Levi thought.

James held up the picture that he had drawn. "I made this for you."

Erwin reached for it. It was rough, but it was clearly drawn in the likeness of Eren in his titan form. He walked over to Levi, with the kids still glued to his sides, and presented it.

"Let's show it to your dad, all right?" Erwin asked James.

Levi stilled, anticipating the kids' reply at the revelation. When Erwin was discussing it, he felt immediately that Erwin was going to ask him to raise them together. It was something they talked about often, in some undefined future when they were rid of titans, that maybe the two of them could start a family. Deep in his heart, he wanted these kids. He was just anxious about them wanting him back.

Joanna was the first to respond. "He's our dad too?"

Erwin nodded. "I'm daddy and he's dad. Is that okay?"

Joanna giggled. She cupped a hand around her mouth, but her whisper was loud enough for everyone to hear. "Dad said fuck."

James gasped, as if afraid that Joanna would get punished for using the word, but Levi laughed and patted her on the head.

"Sorry. Don't say that."

Joanna grinned up at him and detached herself from Erwin's leg to inspect his cup. Levi turned to James' drawing.

"And this is very good."

James beamed at him with pride. Levi felt happy and overwhelmed. He looked to Erwin for guidance, but even Erwin seemed just as overwhelmed as he was that these two kids could attach themselves to their new fathers so easily. Levi gathered Joanna into his lap so she could get a better look at his tea.

"Do you want to take a sip?" Levi asked. He made sure to add an extra teaspoon of sugar first.

"Yes please, Dad," Joanna replied.

James looked up at Erwin. "Daddy, can I have some too?"

Levi's heart soared at the title.

\---

Levi, for the most part, had raised himself. His mother passed when he was young and Kenny was not much of a parent. Whenever Joanna ran too fast, fell, and skinned her knee, he had to consciously stop himself from responding like he usually would and brush it off. In the underground, kids suffered far worse, but he was determined to raise his kids far from that lifestyle. They were going to grow up in their own wing in the castle, after all. This was the life Levi had wished for himself when he was a child. He was glad his kids could live it.

Raising James and Joanna came more naturally to Erwin, Levi observed. When Levi served them their meals, Erwin had the foresight to help them cut their vegetables into smaller pieces and remind them not to play right after eating. It didn't make him feel lacking as a parent, rather it comforted him that Erwin would be there to support him where he wasn't knowledgeable, that when it was time to send them to school, his lack of formal education wouldn't drag them down.

"James, eat your peas," Levi said when he noticed James ignoring them. He indicated Erwin, who was wolfing down his vegetables. "Look at Daddy, he's so tall because he ate a lot of vegetables. Don't be like Dad who didn't eat his vegetables and stopped growing."

Erwin stifled a laugh into his fist.

"But Dad is tall too!" James countered. Indeed, he was tall in James' eyes, as someone who barely came up to his waist.

"James has got you there, Dad," Erwin said.

"You're not helping, Daddy," Levi replied.

Joanna started picking up the peas from James' plate and stuffing it into her own mouth. "I'll get taller than James!"

James seemed horrified at the thought, and started eating his peas before his sister could stuff more of it into her mouth. Erwin and Levi exchanged a look. Apparently, they could use sibling rivalry to their advantage.

It didn't take long before they all cleared their plate, and Joanna and James were told to bring their plates to the kitchen to be washed.

"Daddy," Levi called as Erwin swept around the table. He had observed James and Joanna getting restless as soon as they had tidied up.

"Yes?" Erwin asked.

"I got new paints for the kids. It's in their bedroom. You should show them after you're done sweeping," Levi said as he started to wash the plates.

"Did you hear that?" Erwin asked the kids.

James and Joanna lit up at the news.

"Thanks Dad!" They yelled as they scrambled past Erwin to race to their room.

Erwin did a poor job of sweeping the fallen bits of vegetables and rice, flinging it into a trashcan, and putting away the broom and dustpan to race after the kids. 

"Don't run!" He yelled after them.

Levi smiled down at the sink, feeling warm and content. He could hear Joanna's loud giggle, the slam of doors as the kids playfully tried to lock their Daddy out, and Erwin's comically sad voice as he exaggerated despair at not being able to find his children. The door creaked open and Levi heard two thumps. He presumed that James and Joanna had tried to jump out and surprise Erwin. He felt himself laughing along with the kids when Erwin's yell of surprise echoed down the hall.

\---

"Could you get that for me, Daddy?" Levi asked Erwin as he settled into their bed, and noticed that he had left one of his undershirts on the table, instead of in the laundry basket.

"Daddy?" Erwin inquired, even as he did as Levi asked.

Levi's cheeks colored. When they were not with their kids, they reverted back to calling each other by their real names. They were still soldiers, after all, and the last thing Levi wanted was to call Erwin "Daddy" during a meeting with Dot Pixis and Queen Historia.

"Sorry," Levi murmured.

"Don't be, it's just us," Erwin assured. He walked to Levi's side of the bed and pressed a soft kiss to Levi's forhead. "Tired?"

Levi hummed softly. "Mhm. Joanna was starting to sound like Aunt Hange today. She talked about titans for an entire hour, it scared me a bit."

Levi didn't even catch that he had referred to Hange as 'Aunt Hange'. Erwin figured that he must be really tired.

"We could always use another titan expert," Erwin murmured against Levi's skin. He felt Levi's hair tickle his nose.

"I'm sure she'd be delighted to know that her Daddy supports her titan obsession," Levi replied softly. His voice was heavy and slow with sleep.

Erwin carefully climbed over Levi to his side of the bed. Levi turned to settle against his chest.

"Daddy, did you remember to leave James' nightlight on?" Levi asked drowsily.

"Yes," Erwin replied. Levi had already closed his eyes. Erwin watched him thoughtfully. "Do you like calling me Daddy?"

Levi's eyes blinked open and his ears turned a light pink.

"Be honest," Erwin said.

"Not in a dirty sort of way," Levi admonished gently. He rubbed a hand against Erwin's jaw, idly checking for stubble before pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "I just like it, that you're the daddy to my kids."

Levi feels warmer now that he has said it. He looks down at Erwin and waits for his response, tracing his jawline.

Erwin smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the lips. He reached for the hand on his jaw and kissed that too. "When we're together, just the two of us, we should keep calling each other that. Dad and Daddy."

"You like it too?"

Erwin nodded. "I like being reminded that we're a family now. Dad, Daddy, Joanna, and James Ackerman-Smith."

"Ackewman-Smith," Levi corrected, referring to James' inability to pronounce the 'r' sound correctly.

Erwin chuckled. "The Ackewman-Smiths, right."

Levi sighed happily and pressed his face against the curve of Erwin's neck. "Goodnight, Daddy."

Erwin turned to kiss the top of his head. "Sweet dreams, Dad."


End file.
